Health Economics

The lockdown across the nation in March of 2020 forced people to spend more time at home and changed how and where they could purchase alcohol. We conducted a national survey of alcohol consumption during this period and found alarming increases in overall consumption and excessive drinking immediately after the lockdown.

Increased drinking was particularly large among women, people who are Black, and people with children in the home. We have conducted another survey on behalf of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to assess whether these increases were sustained after lockdowns ended and better understand what factors influenced increased drinking.

Many states are increasing access to and capacity to provide services to address substance use disorder (SUD) among people receiving Medicaid, the single largest source of health coverage in the nation. We are helping the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) evaluate these efforts, known as section 1115 demonstrations, across over 30 states.

To provide a comprehensive picture of the demonstrations, we are compiling a multi-state database of demonstration features and SUD policies; conducting interviews with stakeholders, such as providers and state officials; and analyzing data on Medicaid beneficiaries’ outcomes. We will use the results to provide actionable recommendations to CMS on SUD treatment policy, strategies for implementation, and how to scale up and diffuse successful demonstration models.